The news from the Cape is unpleasant, in this way.
The troops and the volunteers are defeating the insurgent Kafirs everywhere, and seizing large numbers of cattle and sheep, but the younger leaders of the tribes in Kaffraria seem to be eager for conflict. Sandilli, for instance, remains faithful, but Sandilli's men are in insurrection ; and while the chief of the Amatembus stays in our service, the Amatembus themselves have declared war,—it may be under sudden panic. The tribe were defeated in an engagement on January 25, but there are rumours that they intend in future to await attack, remaining in selected fastnesses. Fortunately they cannot live without their cattle, and their cattle require wide room to graze in ; but if they adopt this policy, the war may be long, expensive, and wearisome. The tribes which rise one after another do not plead any wrongs, and appear to obey some impulse which is as yet unintelligible, and demands investigation. It is quite possible that the moving cause is want of land. Each tribe originally received quite enough, but with peace and order the numbers increase rapidly, partly by birth, partly by absorptions, till the lands will not hold them ; while the young men are embittered by the old men's monopoly of the women, a result certain to follow unlimited polygamy, based upon a money payment for wives.
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